Friction clutch



A. A. CONWAY FRICTION CLUTCH Jan. 28, 1930.

Filed April 7, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet m a: W/

6cm at: 1

Jan. 28, 1930. A. A. CONWAY FRICTION CLUTCH Filed April 7, 1926 i 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 zzi /lr/lim ALFRED 14.60/VWAY,

33M l a Patented Jan. 28,1930

UNITED STATES ALFRED A. coNwaY, or cmcmiu'rnomo rmc'rron cnu'rcn Application filed April 7; 1926. Serial no. 160,419.

This invention relates to improvements in friction clutches. i An objectof my invention is to provide a device wherein centrifugal force assists in releasing the clutch. 1

Another object of my invention is -to provide a device of this kind requiring a minimum of effort to manufacture and assemble and wherein a maximum ofv efficiency is ob- 10 tained.

These and other objects are attained by the means described herein and disclosed in the accompanying drawing, in which i Fig. 1, is a sectional view of a clutch of my 15 invention. v

Fig. 2, is an elevation of the device shown in Fig.1.

, ig. 3, is a sectional view taken on line 3-3 of 1. 20 Fig. .4, 1s a sectional 4--4 of Fig. 3. c

Fig. 5, is a sectional view taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 1.

Fig, 6, is a sectional view' taken on line ?F6 e0rFi .1.-

1 The device of my invention comprises a hub or carrier 10 secured to a revoluble shaft 11 by means of a set screw-12 and key 13. The hub 10 may be secured to the shaft 11 in any 30 other manner. The hub 10 isprovided with a bearing'14 upcln which a co11ar.15 may be slidably actuated. The shifting ring 150, seated for free relative movementin a suitable groove in the collar 15 is provided with view taken on line device may be secured: The collar 15 is provided with spaced lugs 17 between which-are r'evolubly mounted rollers 18 which contact 40 pawls 19. The pawls 19v are pivotally mounted at 20 between pairs of lugs 21 provlded on the forward end of the hub 10.

The hub 10 is provided with an enlarged portion or collar 22 having screw threads 23 formed thereon. A split nut 24 shown in Fig. 5 is threadedly secured on the collar 22. ,The nut 24 may be adjusted longitudinally of the collar 22 and locked in adjusted pos1t1on by 1 means of a cap screw 25 extendmg through the lug 26 formed on the nut 24' ad acent the split 27 therein. The threaded portlon 28 lugs 16 to whichgany conventional actuating of the cap screw 25 extends into 'a threaded bore 29 formed in the nut 24 in alignment with the perforationformed in the lug26. The forward end 30 of the nut 24 contacts the outer friction disk 31 of a plurality of disks placed intermediate the shoulders 32, formed on the pawls 19, and the nut 24. It should be noted that the carrier member 10 is provided with a peripheral groove 60 .in wh1ch a bumper ring 61 is secured. The

bumper ring is used to stopthe outward throw of the pawls 19 to preventsaid pawls from striking and damaging the threads of the nut 24. r

Intermediate the shoulders 32 of the pawls l9 and-the nut 24 are a series of friction disks 31, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37 and 38. The disks 31,

34, 36 and 38 are of a material having a high coeflicient of friction with, the disks 33, and 37. All of the disks may be made of metal, or alternate disks may be of metal and 1 some friction material such as raybestos and the like.

Adjacentto and contacting the hub 10 is the driven member 39 retained in position by collar 40 or the like, thedrivenmember havmg formed thereon a sleeve 41- upon which may be secured a pulley, gear, sprocket, et'c.', not shown in the drawing. The driven member 39 is provided with anpannular ring42 connected with the" sleeve 41 by means of arms 43 having their opposite ends integral with the flange 44 which extends from the sleeve 41 and the ring 42. The annular ring 42 extends beyond the innermost friction disk 31 as shown in Fig. 1. Theannular ring i42'is provided on its inner face with a plurality of keys 45 which seat in key ways 46 formed at intervals around the circumferential edge of the disks 33, 35 and 37'. It is therefore evident that rotation of the disks 33, 35 and 37 will cause a rotation of the driven member 39 and sleeve.41.

The hub 10 is provided with a'plurality of keys 47 intermediate the collar 22' and the lugs 21 The keys 47 are received in key ways formed in. the inner bore of the disks 31,34; 36, and 38. It should be noted that rotation or movement of the hub 10 causes a other end of the post 52 is slidably actuated throu h the perforation 51 formed in the ear n expansion spring 54 is mounted about the guide post 52 and has its opposite ends'in abutment upon the ears 48 and 49 yieldably tending to separate the friction disks onefrom the other. p

The hub 10 is provided with ways 55in which the pawls 19 are positioned. The pawls 19 are provided with acam face or shoulder 32 at one end anda tapered or inclined face 56 at their opposite ends. It should be noted that with this structure the pawls are concealed from view and are actuated within the body lines of the carrier ember 10. This structure insures safety hen this type of friction clutch is employed and r uires a minimum of space. he operation of my device is as follows: Power is applied to the shaft 11 causin same to be rotatedwhereby the hub '10 is a so rotatedthrough the set screw 12'and ke 13. The collar .15 is now slidably actuate ward the driven member whereby the rollers hub 10 .of the driven mem 18 carried by the collar 15 contactthe inclined faces 56 of the-pawls 19 thereby rotatably actuating the pawls' about their pivots 20. The actuation of the pawls 19 about their pivots causes the. cam faces or shoulders32 a driven member mounted for rotatory movethereof to compress the friction rings and clamp same between the shoulders and the inner face of the nut 24. The friction disks 31 '34, 36 and 38 are actuated by the through the ke s 47. The frictional contact between'the dis s 31', 34, 36 and 38 and the friction disks 33, and 37 causes the actuation or rotation of said friction disks thereby rotating the driven member through the keys formed thereon, whereby motion or power may be transmitted to a pulley or the like that may sgured to the sleeve 41 When it is desired to stop the driven member 39'the collar 15 is shifted to the right, see Fig. 1,.to the position shown in dotted lines whereby the rollers 18 are free of the =pawls 19.

Upon the withdrawal of the collar 15 the continued rotation of thehub 10, through centrifugal force, throws the outer ends 57 of the pawls 19 awa from their centers about the pivots 20 where y the cam faces or shoulders 32 are freed-from the disk 38. When the contact is broken between the cam faces or shoulders 32 and the disk 38 the sprin s 54 separate the friction disks, breaking t e driving connection between them, and remov- 'ide post 52 is secured at 53 in, the perforation formed in the ear 48. The

tor he wear that may develop between the disks may be' taken u by ti htening the adjustingnut 24. ,It s ould e noted that I have provided arecess 100 interiorly of the nut 24, adjacent the bearing face 30 thereof, which enables the nut to-clear the keys 47 secured in the hub 10. I V

' WhatI claim is:

1. A clutch comprising ;a hollow driven member, a drivin member having a recess extendin longitu inally thereof and received in the ho low in the driven member, complementary normally disengaged means carried by the drivin member and driven member within the ho low of the driven member for transmitting motion when clamped upon one :gnother from the drive to the driven memer, a I pivotal y carried by the driving member, the pawl bein pivoted at the junction of the arms 8,1131% within the recess in the driving member,.and the short arm disposed on one side of the complementary normally disengaged means, an a utment carried by the drivin member and disposed on the'oppos'ite side 0% the complementar normall disengaged nieans to that 'on w ichthe s ort arm of the pawl is disposed, and-means operable on the long arm of the awl for actuating said long arm centerward of the driving member about the pivotal mounting of the pawl for clamping the complementary normally disengaged means'u on one another between the short arm'of t e awl and the abutment.

2. A clutc comprising a drive member and members, complementary normally disengaged means carried by the drive member and driven member'for movement into driving engagement with one another for transmitting movement between the drive member and the driven member, a pawl ivotally mounted on the member carrying t e said abutment, the pawl havin a pair of divergent arms, one arm adapte to operate u on t e complementarynormally disengage means and the second arm disposed centerward of said comlementary means and extending toward and eyond said abutment, and meansfor moving said second arm centerward about the pivotal mounting ofv said pawl for clamping said com lementarymeans between the-first arm of t e pawl and the abutment..

3. A clutch. comprising a drive member and a driven member, an abutment carried b one of said members, friction disks carmed by the drive member and the driven member normally out of driving contact withone another and adapted to be clamped upon aving the longer arm disposed said abutment and comprising a pawl having a pivotal connection and mounted for rotatory movement with said abutment, said pawl having its pivotal mounting on one side of the friction disks and comprising an arm extending below and beyond the friction disks and abutment, and means for en gaging the pawl arm and actuating same in a direction away from the friction disks for clamping the friction disks between the pawl and the abutment.

radiallyfrom the recess in the second mentioned member into the recess in the first mentloned member, an actuating member, the second arm of the pawl having a free end,

adapted for engagement with the actuating member for moving the pawl about its pivotal mounting, an abutment member carried by the second mentioned transmission memher and disposed adjacent the free end of the second pawl arm, and complementary friction rings carried by both transmission members and disposed between the abutment and the radially extending arm of the pawl, said rings disposed radially outward from said pawl, and the said radially extending arm of the pawl adapted to clamp the friction rings against the abutment upon movement of the free end of the second pawl arm radially inward.

5. A clutch comprising a pair of complementary rotating clutch members, a set of friction rings, adjacent rings connected alternately with different rotating clutch members for unified movementwith their respective clutch members, an abutment member on one clutch member for engaging the set of friction rings at one side thereof, a pivotally mounted pawl mounted on said last mentioned clutch member and having a pair of arms, one arm adapted to engage the set of friction rings and to urge them toward the abutment member, and the other pawl arm lying centerward of the friction rings and having a free end adj acentthe abutment member, and means for ur ing the free end of said arm centerward or clamping the friction rings between the pawl and the abutment member.

the pawl adjacent the pivotally mounted end thereof, said pawl having a free end remote from the disks, and means for moving the free end of the pawl toward the axis of the clutch for clampmg the disks between the cam and the abutment.

7. In a clutch the combination of a driving member, a driven member, a lurality of friction disks secured to each of said members, an abutment on one of the members adjacent the disks,a pawl having apivota] mounting on said member adjacent the disks on the side opposite the abutment, a cam on the pawl adjacent the pivotally mounted end thereof, said pawl having a free end remote from the disks, yielding means .normally separating the disks and means for moving the free end of the pawl toward the axis of the clutch for clamping the disks between the cam and the abutment.

8. A clutch comprising a pair of complementary rotating clutch members, a group of co-operating friction rings, adjacent rings being connected alternately with the several clutch members, an abutment on one of said clutch members for engagement with one side of the group of frictionrings, a pawl on said last mentioned clutch member pivotally mounted intermediate its ends, one end of the pawl adapted to engage a group of friction rings for urging the rings toward the abutment member, and means for urging the other end of said pawl centerward for clamping the friction rings between the pawl and the abutment. v

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 28th day of March,

ALFRED A. CONWAY. 

